Tips for permanent waterer?

[badaxemoo]

After three years of doing the garden hose routine twice a day in the winter, I'm finally putting in a Ritchie waterer. It's a two-hole energy free plastic model. I plan on running an electric line to it anyway just in case I might need it in the future.

I have the insulated tubes for underneath.

1. I plan on watering two pens with it - is it best to put it perpendicular to the corral or in line with it? I've seen them done both ways.

2. Do folks generally rough up or groove the concrete pad to provide more traction for cattle?

3. Would it be better to keep it up close to the building for wind protection or better to have it out away from the building in the sun? It will be used almost exclusively in the winter, although the bull might use it some in late spring.

Any tips, cautions or tricks, related to installing one of these would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[cfpinz]

Put one in just like yours last fall. Buried the electric line, haven't need it, but I don't live in Wisconsin. I poured a relatively small pad (about 5x6 or so) because I was too cheap to buy enough concrete for a bigger one. Roughed up the surface with a broom. It's small enough they can only get their front feet on it, any bigger and I'd be more concerned with traction. Run your water and electric lines thru a piece of pvc pipe under the concrete in case you need to change them. A five-gallon bucket fits nicely on the end of the earth tube if you need an extension. Make sure you get the earth tube nearly even with the top of the concrete. I ran short on concrete and the tube stuck out too far so I had to make a spacer out of plywood in order to get the waterer to sit level. Pour the pad first and then drill in concrete anchors to secure it. I sank bolts in the concrete and after the spacer they wound up being too short. Put a shutoff valve in the line coming up under the waterer. If you really want to get fancy lay some geotextile cloth around the outside and cover it in gravel.

Wind protection would be nice, and I'd center it in the fence so one ball is in each pen.

Takes longer to plan out everything than it does to actually do it. Best of luck.

 

[SRBeef]

After three years of doing the garden hose routine twice a day in the winter, I'm finally putting in a Ritchie waterer. It's a two-hole energy free plastic model. I plan on running an electric line to it anyway just in case I might need it in the future.

I have the insulated tubes for underneath.

1. I plan on watering two pens with it - is it best to put it perpendicular to the corral or in line with it? I've seen them done both ways.

2. Do folks generally rough up or groove the concrete pad to provide more traction for cattle?

3. Would it be better to keep it up close to the building for wind protection or better to have it out away from the building in the sun? It will be used almost exclusively in the winter, although the bull might use it some in late spring.

Any tips, cautions or tricks, related to installing one of these would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I am also in the driftless area of Wisconsin. Last summer I put in a Petersen concrete waterer and am very glad I did. You know what the winter was like. It was -30 degree F a couple January mornings. I'm sorry but in my opinion the energy-free ones are not likely to work in WI winters as we had this last year.

Installation is a key. Use a step pad - the 4" step for about a foot around the waterer keeps them from backing up to it and taking a dump in the drinking water. Put a heat tape on the inlet water line with a thermostat. As far as location, a spot out of the NW wind is best. Here are some photos of my Petersen. Good luck.

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[IluvABbeef]

After three years of doing the garden hose routine twice a day in the winter, I'm finally putting in a Ritchie waterer. It's a two-hole energy free plastic model. I plan on running an electric line to it anyway just in case I might need it in the future.

I have the insulated tubes for underneath.

1. I plan on watering two pens with it - is it best to put it perpendicular to the corral or in line with it? I've seen them done both ways.

2. Do folks generally rough up or groove the concrete pad to provide more traction for cattle?

3. Would it be better to keep it up close to the building for wind protection or better to have it out away from the building in the sun? It will be used almost exclusively in the winter, although the bull might use it some in late spring.

Any tips, cautions or tricks, related to installing one of these would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I am also in the driftless area of Wisconsin. Last summer I put in a Petersen concrete waterer and am very glad I did. You know what the winter was like. It was -30 degree F a couple January mornings. I'm sorry but in my opinion the energy-free ones are not likely to work in WI winters as we had this last year.

Installation is a key. Use a step pad - the 4" step for about a foot around the waterer keeps them from backing up to it and taking a dump in the drinking water. Put a heat tape on the inlet water line with a thermostat. As far as location, a spot out of the NW wind is best. Here are some photos of my Petersen. Good luck.

View attachment 2

View attachment 1

How do you clean a waterer like that out? Is there like some sort of filter you can take out or something? And have you ever gotten frozen water pipes you had to thaw out even if you had a heat element in there?

The waterers at home are built so that you can the water basins and the float mechanism (protected by a steel cover) can be tipped over on its side if there's any algae or crap that needs to be cleaned out. (And I think those types of waterers are like 30 to 40 years old now... But they still work with proper maintenance if necessary)

 

[hillsdown]

Since you are putting a line in anyways I would put in a separate shut off valve just in case ,it comes in handy if something happens a few years down the road .Yes, personal experience.

 

[mitch2]

In line with the fence, you doubled your watering holes.

Put in the electric, not sure where "driftless" is ;-) But we are in W. Central. We have never had the Ritchie freeze yet, but we have electric supplied to it and use it.

Too many times over the years we have had to unthaw waterers/waterlines, etc and that is one of the most miserable jobs in the world. Because it is never a nice day when it happens. Just think of freezing temps with sprinklers over your head. I think it is close to the feeling you would get if you got covered in concrete. Except worse. Cold hurts.

Because we use the electric wind is not a player, and ours is on top of a hill and wind howls 24/7.

We have an el cheapo that we have block the wind on and even then we have to unthaw it on occasion. Replacing this one with a Ritchie is on the 'want' list.

Good luck!

Michele